Port Blair, Feb 12: The National Commission for Minorities has instituted the Minorities Rights Award to celebrate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad which falls on 11th November of every year as Minority Rights Day. In the occasion an individual/ organisation will be recognized for their outstanding contribution to protect the right of minorities and/to promote their development with conferment of Minority Right Award. The Award carries a citation and a certificate beside cash award of Rs. 2 lakhs to be given to an individual and Rs. 5 lakhs to be given to an organisation. Out of the two awards, only one award will be given in a year.
The award will be given to an individual or an organisation on the basis of their activities and performance over a sufficiently long period of time rather than on the basis of a single or sporadic act in any situation. The individual/organisation should have an impeccable record of integrity and should not have a questionable background namely, should not have at any point of time come under dubious cloud or politically/legally controversial or disqualified/ indicated by court of Law.
An individual is eligible for consideration of the award if he/ she has been working in the area of protection of rights of minorities for a minimum period of ten years, does not hold any elective office in Parliament, State Legislature or local body constituted under an act of Parliament or the State Legislature, who is not a member of a political party recognized by the Election Commission of India and is above 35 years of age and is alive on the date of nomination.
In the case of an organisation, it is essential that the organisation is registered under an appropriate act of Parliament or State Legislature, has been working at the all-India level, or at least state level. In case of activities of the organisation are at the State/UT level, these should be spatially well dispersed and extend to cover a substantial area of the state, and should have been functioning for a minimum of five years in the field of promotion of rights of minorities.
The application/nomination of individual and organisations for the Minority Right Day Award – 2012 completed in all respect may be submited to the Directorate of Social Welfare, A&N Administration Goalghar, Port Blair latest by 21/02/2013, so that the eligible application/nomination could be forwarded to the National Commission for Minorities.
